Category: China

It’s not a team without a uniform

Onanistic photography isn’t the easiest thing in the world to pull off, especially when you’re goofy from two Tsingtaos, jetlag, no dinner, and the most perspiration filled day in your life.

Beijing is crazy. Our hospitalty center is hopping, the Olympic Green was just stupendous. Tomorrow …. opening ceremonies. I’m not attending. Tickets are very, very hard to get. I intend to lay low and work with the bloggers and get some photos uploaded. Lunched with the good crew from Ogilvy, sat in a lot of cabs, tried to figure out the subway system, and did an utterly insane Crossfit workout-of-the-day which nearly did me in. Way too tired to be intelligent right now.

So, nice uniform, hey? I so called the jaunty visor a mile away. I especially like the cuffs on the sleeves — green on my right left arm for starboard. Red on the left right for port (If I walked backwards, thx for pointing P.Kim).

All sites seem up

So, quickly, this is what seems to be working here in Beijing. (Your mileage may vary, but this is off the hotel broadband). So much for the fears that have been keeping me awake the last 12 months. Knock on wood.

1. Churbuck.com

2. Our athletes’ blogs

3. Our Olympic Podium

4. Flickr

5. Auto-detect (someone needs to tell Google that just because I am China does not mean I have suddenly learned Chinese. Check out the about page on David Oliver, the American hurdler who’s blogging on an IdeaPad.

6. YouTube

Beijing is unrecognizable …

… In a good way. Let’s get the smog report out of the way first. Yep. It’s hazy. I saw the sun, way up there, but overall the place is blanketed by a fug. Not to be an apologist, but I’ve seen worse near the Vince Lombardi Rest Stop on the New Jersey Turnpike.

What’s different?

  1. No traffic. The even-odd car restrictions are working.
  2. Olympic VIP lanes zip things right along … if you’re on Olympic business.
  3. Trees. Tons of trees. The landscaping effort is astonishing. Sprinkers blasting away.
  4. Clean. Nary a speck of litter
  5. Security — pretty tight getting into my hotel, into the health club, etc.Lot of citizen “deputies”

Cross-eyed with jet-lag. To bed.

Imagethief : E-Z steps to make your own Beijing air at home

What would life be without Will Moss, aka the Imagethief? This is his simple set of directions on how to make your own Beijing Air in August. I have the Yorkshire terrier and my son smokes Parliaments …..

“Here is what you will need:

* A serving plate.

* Large bowl that can be used to cover the serving plate.

* A bucket of water.

* A Yorkshire terrier, Pekingese or similar small dog (at a pinch, a dog pelt can be used, but a whole dog is more reliable). Important: If the dog is wearing a metallic collar or tags, remove them.

* A packet of bad cigarettes. Ideally, Chinese Red Pagodas. But at a pinch, Gitanes or Parliaments will do.

* A non-metallic ashtray.

* A turd.

* A microwave oven.

…”Imagethief : E-Z steps to make your own Beijing air at home.

China’s 253 Million Internet Users Surpasses U.S.

Courtesy of Uncle Fester who found this CRN report:

“A report from a Chinese government agency said there are now 253 million Web users in China, up 56 percent from a year ago and surpassing the number of users in the U.S, according to reports.

“While the numbers are impressive, there is still much room for growth. The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) found that the figures represent only 19% of the Chinese public using the Internet, according to the Wall Street Journal.

China’s 253 Million Internet Users Surpasses U.S. – The Channel Wire – IT Channel News And Views by CRN and VARBusiness.

I gotta learn some Chinese and fast

If these people can try, I should too ….

The Opposite End of China || Xinjiang & Northwest China Blog (中国的另一端 || 新疆 & 中国西北博客): My Own Personal Visa Hell

The Opposite End of China || Xinjiang & Northwest China Blog (中国的另一端 || 新疆 & 中国西北博客): My Own Personal Visa Hell
Saw this posted by Fons Tuinstra on the visa situation in China. Lots of people beefing that it is very hard to get travel documents as the Chinese seem to be reversing their open door policy for the Olympics, to a tighter aperture for the sake of security. I feel relieved I have mine. More to come on the Olympics.

“The best part was when I complained to the visa officer that getting a new invitation letter from China was “tai mafang” (too much trouble), and she responded, “Not as much trouble as Chinese people have getting a US visa.” What, is this some sort of contest?”

China ties US for most Web users at 221 million people NYT

China ties US for most Web users at 221 million people – New York Times

Deborah Fallows: Few in China Complain About Internet Controls

Deborah Fallows: Few in China Complain About Internet Controls

Kaiser Kuo posts at Ogilvy’s China DigitalWatch Blog this very intriguing news on a relatively old survey:

“Research fellow Deborah Fallows of the Pew Internet & American Life project has written an excellent summary of an eyebrow-raising survey commissioned by the Markle Foundation and carried out by Guo Liang of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

“The report is actually a few months old: it was published in November 2007. I hadn’t heard anything about its interesting (though to me not altogether surprising) findings until I was alerted to Ms. Fallows’ summary and comments on the Pew website — by a Twitter from Fons Tuinstra last night, I believe. Commentators will doubtless zero in on the survey’s findings regarding Internet censorship, to wit, almost 84% of urban Chinese believe that the Internet should be managed or controlled (read: censored), and more than 85 listed the government in response to the question of who should be doing this managing and controlling.”

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